


Revolution

by NYCinCordonia



Category: Endless Summer (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Light Angst, M/M, Multi, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-14
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-04-22 20:02:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14316120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NYCinCordonia/pseuds/NYCinCordonia
Summary: Taylor agrees to let Rourke's Project Janus proceed, sending the group back in time to their freshman year at Hartfeld. Taylor soon faces the consequences of her decision.





	1. The Do-Over

“Taylor Starr? Your ID is ready.”

I walk up to the counter where the attendant passes to me a small card, a photograph of me smiling with Hartfeld University emblazoned in the free space in bold red font and Hartfeld’s landscape overtaking the background.

I step out into the quad, where there’s a flurry of activity from incoming freshman and the school organizations that hoped to recruit them, from the Greeks, to the student newspaper and even a D&D Club. Move-in week was well underway and soon I would be officially starting my freshman year in college.

I soon faced myself with the ugly consequence of my decision. A statue of Rourke, Emperor Rourke, stood tall in the middle of the quad. My face contorted in anger as I stared at the statue, of course he would make himself a ruler. The selfish, narcissistic and egomaniac Rourke only cared about himself and obsessed over power. I turn away from the statue in a fury, I couldn’t stand that I would have to see his face everywhere!

As I dashed, not noticing my surroundings, I crash hard into someone which knocks me down, landing right on my ass. A hand extends to me and I look up to the person offering me assistance, a familiar face and one that I was happy to see. It was Sean Gayle.

I take his hand and he pulls me back onto my feet. He was wearing a Hartfeld football uniform and,  _damn_ , he looked good in it.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you there,” Sean bowed his head at me apologetically.

“Yeah, no that was totally my fault. I wasn’t watching where I was going at all,” I tell him shyly, but why do I feel so nervous right now? I’ve shared so many intimate moments with him, but this felt new.

“That’s a really beautiful flower”, he says as he points to my hair.

I take the flower out of my thick curls, I completely forgot about it. I didn’t think it would exist in this timeline. “Thank you. It has a really special meaning for me.”

“And what is that?” Sean asks with genuine curiosity.

I smile ruefully at him, “It means devotion.” He looks me right into my eyes, as if for a fleeting moment he understood what I meant.

A shout from across the quad took away Sean’s attention, “Ayo Sean, hurry up bro! Call of Duty won’t wait forever!” Of course, that voice was easily recognizable as Craig’s.

Sean turns back to me, “Well, I have to get going. I guess I’ll see your around. And sorry, again.”

“I’ll see you around.” I laugh as Sean runs towards Craig.  _The more things change._

 

* * *

 

I arrived at the suite I was assigned to, I was the only to arrive so far. The freshman suites at Hartfeld were co-ed and accommodated 6 people. I was almost done decorating my bedroom, it was no  _The Celestial Honeymoon Suite_ but it was my own and it felt more personalized.

I spread myself out on my bed and turn on the small TV across my room. A news anchor is talking about leaked footage from a Vaanti prison. The screen goes to video of a blue-skinned man, in shackles and beaten, it was Varryn! “Diego, I  _remember_!”

My heart felt like it stopped beating. I thought that without La Huerta it would be impossible for the Vaanti to exist, but here was a Varryn, being tortured by that evil piece of shit. Then I remembered:  _devotion._

I write my wishes on a piece of paper and pin it to the center of my cork board.

  * REUNITE THE 12 CATALYSTS


  * FREE VARRYN & THE VAANTI


  * _**KILL ROURKE**_




	2. Constants

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taylor meets one of her new roommates. Sean has a strange dream. Jake and Mike come up with a plan.

I pace my room in deep thought. Sean didn't even recognize me, it could only mean the rest of the gang would have no memory of me or our friendships. _What have I done?_   But The Endless' vision proved three things: no matter the timeline, all 12 of us would come together at some point, Sean will always love me and Varryn will always love Diego. If those were constants in 2,140 timelines then it surely would be a constant in Rourke's reality. My mind keeps racing, trying to think of ways to make them remember everything we've been through, even if my powers were absorbed and destroyed when Project Janus re-created reality as we knew it. 

A chime from a phone startles me out my thoughts, a message from...Mom?

_**Mom:** Hey sweetie, hope you have settled into your dorm room okay. I love you! _

My mother, memories of my childhood flood my thoughts. I could see the faces of a man and a woman, they called themselves my parents. Based on my memories, I know that my parents were Enforcers for _His Eminence_. It almost felt like they were phonies, although I know in this timeline they aren't. 

_**Taylor:** Hey mom, everything is going well. I'm the first in my dorm room so far but its only the first day of move-in week. I love you too!_

I could tell they cared for me very much but I did not feel any sort of affection towards them. The only family I've ever known would be right here on this campus. I hear something crash in the living and I run out my bedroom quickly. A young-looking Diego stands at the doorway, frantically trying to pick the pieces of glass from a picture frame he must have dropped from the large box he set down in front of the suite entrance.

"Are you okay?!" I asked him worried.

"I'm sorry! I dropped this frame trying to get in the door!" Diego looks up to me, "Are you one of my roommates?"

"Yes, I'm Taylor. Here, let me help you." I rush to the kitchen for a broom and dustpan.

Diego set his eyes to me, "Not even the first day of class and I'm already a mess. My name is Diego, its a pleasure meeting you Taylor!"

* * *

 Sean finds himself in a large room decorated by that familiar purple flower. He is wearing a black blazer over a white button up and black trousers, in his hand a pink ribbon tied around it. He looks down towards a familiar face gazing lovingly at him, she has mocha skin, big brown eyes and thick bouncy black curls carefully adorned by a large purple flower. She wears a flowing white dress that hugs her curves and exposes her midsection. Her thick lips curve into a delighted grin before her lips crashed into his. It felt so real for him and, damn, she smelled so good. He picks her up in his arms as the room explodes into cheers. He slowly breaks away from the kiss and caresses her cheek, "I'm always gonna love you, Taylor." he whispers to her. "And I'll always love you, Sean," she replies soflty as tears well up in her eyes, "Don't you ever forget that, baby."

Sean breathlessly wakes from the vivid dream, he could still taste her lips on his.  _Why would the cute girl from the quad show up in my dreams?_ he thinks to himself. In the dream, she wore the same flower in the same place in her hair. Something about her felt so familiar yet distant. When she said that the flower meant devotion, it was as if he had known her in the past yet that was impossible because he had never seen her prior to today. And in his dream, he called her Taylor - was that really her name? He felt the need to know who this woman was. He reaches for his phone on the nightstand,  _3 missed calls from Momma_. He smiles at the notification. His mid-afternoon nap after football practice was over and he returned his mother's call.

 **"** Hey baby! About time you call me back, how was practice?"

 **"** Sorry about that ma, I just woke from my nap. Practice knocked the wind out of me, college football is nothing like high school football."

"I bet it isn't, but it doesn't matter because you're the best QB Hartfeld could get their hands on."

"Aw c'mon ma, I'm not even starting quarterback just yet."

 **"** Well you will be. I know so because I'm your mother! So meet any cute girls or guys yet?"

"Maaaaaaa, it's only my first day on campus. I did meet someone cute today, but I didn't get her name."

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll run into her again soon enough. You know what they say, people meet their soulmates in college! Anyways, I'll leave you to it. Don't have too much fun, baby. I love you!"

"Love you too, ma. Talk to you later."

Sean ends the call and his thoughts immediately return to the woman. "I guess I'll run into this girl again, eventually" he sighs to himself and heads off to the kitchen for some water.

* * *

Jake frantically paces the dark and humid room, while Mike stands over a table strewn with papers, 2 guns and a large map of the United States. Hiding from the Emperor in the Costa Rican jungle was no easy feat. Jake and Mike chose to desert the empire after learning the truth behind Rourke's so-called power. They were both the highest-ranked pilots in the Emperor's army, commanded by Lundgren. Jake overheard a conversation between the Emperor and Lundgren, where  _His Eminence_ confessed to using an alien power to alter reality and give them unlimited power. Then the video of the alien-like blue man leaked on the internet and Jake knew with certainty that Rourke was telling the truth.

Jake stops his pacing and looks towards Mike, "The only way to take him down is by exposing him as a fraud. But we need hard evidence of what he did. If we truly are living in a reality created by him then there might not be any clues to go on." Jake thinks back angrily at all the disgusting things he did under Lundgren's command. Murdering innocent civilians in Rourke's attempt at an imperial take-over of Europe and Asia. Both Jake and Mike believed Rourke and Lundgren's lies, they thought they were freeing those people from democratic tyranny when in reality it was Rourke who sought to be their tyrant and take down European and Asian governments. 

"The only lead we have to go on is the alien man. Perhaps if we break him out, we can get more answers." Mike folds his arms as he stares at the map of Rourke's ever growing empire.

 "We would have to find where the Vaanti Detention Center is located first and then bypass the ridiculous security measures in place." Unable to contain his frustration, Jake punches the wall behind him, splintering the wood apart through the strength of his fist. An idea pops up in Jake's mind, "The Prince Imperial..." Jake walks to the table and draws a small dagger from his belt and punctures a spot on the map where Hartfeld University is located. "We find the Prince and make him tell us the location."

"And how are we supposed to do that when there are Wanted posters of us all over the Empire?" Mike questions.

"I know someone who may be able to help us and she is likely at Hartfeld right now...Lila Sethi."

 


End file.
